Youssou N'Dour detained by Irish immigration

Youssou N’Dour’s Redbox concert last night (Monday December 16) was delayed for almost two hours, following the star’s detention at Dublin Airport, over alleged visa irregularities.

According to a spokesperson for the Redbox, "All work permits for our artists were in place. We were informed by the Irish immigration office, as was our artist, that no visas were required due to an agreement between Senegal and the EU."

However, upon arriving in Dublin, the party discovered that this information was apparently incorrect and the group were detained for three hours at the airport. Eventually, TD for Dublin South East Mr Eoin Ryan intervened, and Youssou took to the stage at 9:45 for an extended two hour show. The scheduled support act, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, were forced to cancel due to the airport delay.

In the wake of the confusion, a Green Party spokesperson publicly requested a full statement from the Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell, to explain the actions of the immigration department.

Hot Press’ Liam Mackey who was in the audience described the show as "brilliant and upbeat – especially considering the indignity of the detention at the airport."

"We do not feel this will deter Youssou N’Dour from performing in Ireland in the future," added the Redbox spokesperson, "and we look forward to his return."

When asked to comment, a representative from the Garda Press Office stated that they "do not comment on individual cases".